--Kodaly
Articles, Book Chapters, and Videotapes
for the Choral Conductor
by Dr. Jeffrey Richard Carter
© 2004
----------. “An Interview with Robert Shaw.” Teaching Music (April 1994), pp. 40-41. Brief but illuminating interview with the grand man himself. Focus pointed toward practiced tips for those of us who are lesser stars.
Anderson, Brian L. “The Habits of Highly Effective Music Educators.” Teaching Music (October 1999), pp. 48-51. Draws lessons for musicians from the book by a similar title. Highly recommended!.
Archibeque, Charlene. “Making Rehearsal Time Count.” Choral Journal (September 1992), pp. 18-19. Rehearsal strategies to creat joyous, musically rewarding, productive rehearsals.
Armentrout, Marsha. “Solving Vocal Problems Through the Creative Use of Warm-Ups.” Common Times [SW-ACDA divisional newsletter] (Spring 1997), pp. 5-7. A very helpful treatise on the hows and whys of creative beginning of rehearsal activities.
Armstrong, Susan and Scott Armstrong. “The Conductor As Transformational Leader.” Music Educators Journal (May 1996), pp. 22-25. Effective leadership through the transformational leader.
Barrow, Lee G. “Programming Rehearsal for Student Success.” Music Educators Journal (September 1994), pp. 26-28. Program a rehearsal as you would a performance.
Boardman, Susan. “Breathing Your Way to a Better Chorus.” Music Educators Journal (May 1996), pp. 26-30. Using breath exercises to create focus and cohesion as well as better tone.
Briggs, Robert. “Vocal Warm-ups: From the Sublime to the Ridiculous.” Teaching Music (April 2000), pp. 36-39. Exercises should be as varied as the members of the choir themselves. Strongly recommends plainchant melodies as the basis for activation exercises.
Brunner, David L. “Carefully Crafting the Choral Rehearsal.” Music Educators Journal (November 1996), pp. 37 ff. A little planning goes a long way.
Brunner, David L. “Choral Program Design: Structure and Symmetry.” Music Educators Journal (May 1994), pp. 46-49. Examines common ways to organize a choral concert program. Suggests alternatives based on tempi, variety and structure, and golden mean.
Brunner, David L. “Choral Repertoire: A Director’s Checklist.” Music Educators Journal (September 1992), pp. 29-32. Cogent and intelligent discussion of musical elements. Not overly deep, but still useful.
Cobb, Nancy. “It’s a Major Key World.” Choral Journal 38:10 (May 1998), pp. 31-32. Advocates a generous mixture of major and minor key vocal etudes to broaden the choir’s aural spectrum.
Darrough, Galen P. “Making Choral Music with Older Adults.” Music Educators Journal (December 1992), pp. 27 ff. Illustrates how choral directors can benefit from this population’s musical knowledge.
Daugherty, James F. “Electronic Learning for Twenty-first Century Choirs: Rationale, Strategies, and Values.” Choral Journal (December /2002), pp. 71 ff. A lengthy technology report. From playing CDs to having them write their own music on-line, this article gives pointers on incorporating technology into the choral classroom.
Demorest, Steven. “Customizing Choral Warm-ups.” Choral Journal (February 1993), pp. 25-28. Altering existing exercises, writing your own, and making music through the process of vocalizing. Owes much to the work of Frauke Haasemann.
Demorest, Steven. “Structuring a Musical Choral Rehearsal.” Music Educators Journal (January 1996), pp. 25 ff. The way we rehearse a piece of music should be guided by its compositional nature.
Dickson, John. “Score Study: A ‘Magical Eye’ for Musical Blueprints.” Choral Journal 39:8 (March 1999) pp. 9. Lengthy and detailed discussion of macro to micro score study, following model of Julius Herford and Margaret Hillis. Text is a primary consideration for this author. Academic and detailed, and very helpful.
Ford, Joseph K. “Implications for Non-Verbal Communication and Conducting Gesture.” Choral Journal 42:1 (August 2002) pp. 17 ff. Eclectic and esoteric article; not much practical application, but thorough discussion of study of non-verbal communication and implications for conducting.
Friar, Kendra Kay. “Changing Voices, Changing Times.” Music Educators Journal (November 1999) pp. 26 ff. Recent developments in changing-voice theory can help adolescent boys and girls sing through the change.
Glover, Sally L. “Why and How Vocal Solo and Choral Warm-ups Differ.” Choral Journal 42: 3 (October 2001), pp. 17 ff.
Hansen, Sharon, ed. “On the Voice.” Choral Journal 40:5 (December 1999), pp. 81 ff. William Hall and Dennis Shrock prove controversial in discussing divergent viewpoints on choral tone and the use of vibrato. Not for the faint-hearted.
Henry, Michele. “Program Notes: Myriad Benefits for Audience and Choir.” Choral Journal (December 2002), pp. 53ff. Advocates regular use of program notes, and points out approaches from which to illuminate the music for the audience.
Hinson, Lee. “Rehearsing the Volunteer Church Choir: Principles and Techniques.” Choral Journal (October 1998), pp. 53 ff. Addresses the unique challenges of the volunteer church choir. Written by evangelical with a mid-week rehearsal period, and printed the Repertoire and Standards column for church choruses.
Lannom, Allen. “A Discarding of Meaningless and Self-Centered Inhibitions.” Choral Journal (February 1993), 54. De rigueur reading for all of us—just a short letter, but packed with truth.
Leenman, Tracy. “Creating a Choral Sound.” Teaching Music (October 1996), pp. 37-39. Personnel placement and personal choice as the basis for a signature sound. Written for high school teachers.
Lloyd, Thomas. “When the Orchestra Arrives.” Choral Journal 40:5 (December 1999), pp. 35 ff. A close look at the expectations of two musical cultures: instrumentalists and choristers. Thorough and detailed. A must-read for those who have not participated in band or orchestra
Lyne, Gregory K. “Effective Bodily Communication.” Choral Journal (September 1979). Every little movement has a meaning all its own.
Mailman, Matthew. “The ‘White Canvas’ Approach to Beginning Conducting.” Teaching Music (February 2000), pp. 60-62. A conductor is a communication link. Written from an instrumental conductor perspective.
McClung, Alan C. “The Relationship between Nonverbal Communication and Conducting: An Interview with Rodney Eichenberger.” Choral Journal 36:10 (May 1996), pp. 17 ff. The master of non-verbal is interviewed. Helpful and provocative.
Michelson, Steven. “Tone Quality and the Male Voice.” Music Educators Journal (January 1993), pp. 27 ff. One way to develop a free, natural sound in men’s choral singing is to develop the head voice. Practical advice.
Miller, Richard. “The Solo Singer in the Choral Ensemble.” Choral Journal (March 1995), pp. 31 ff. Word of wisdom from one of this country’s finest voice teachers.
Minter, Drew. “Sweet Singing in the Choir.” Opera News (November 1999), pp. 16 ff. The operatic star and recital singer reflects on his days in the chorus too. Insightful.
Neuen, Donald. “Making a Statement.” Choral Journal (August 1992), pp. 16-17. A performer must unite heart, mind, and soul to become one with the music, and must communicate with the audience.
Pearce, Mark. “Personal Reflection on a Summer with Robert Shaw.” Missouri-ACDA Reporter (Summer 1990), n.p. Refers to many of Shaw’s choral solutions in a reverent portrait.
Peterson, Christopher. “Moving Musical Experiences in the Choral Rehearsal.” Music Educators Journal (May 2000), pp. 28-30.
Pollack, Barbara. “The effective conductor: A matter of communication and personality.” In Psychology and Performing Arts, Glenn D. Wilson, ed. Berwyn, Penn.: Swets and Zeitlinger, 1991. Pp. 151-162. A worthwhile read from a clinical psychologist’s perspective. PN 1590 . P76 .P78 1991
Pollack, Barbara and Harriet Simons. “The Psychologist and the Conductor: Solving Rehearsal Problems Using Awareness of Personality Types.” Choral Journal 36:10 (May 1996), pp. 9-16. Uses Meyer-Briggs Type Indicator terminology. Very helpful for those who wish to know more about the non-musical factors at work.
Pysh, Gregory M. “Chorophony: The Art of Father Finn.” Choral Journal (November 1996), pp. 37 ff. A serious discussion of Fr. William J. Finn’s methods and means, a choral technique he called chorophony.
Robinson, Russell. “Achieving and Maintaining Quality in Choral Music Education.” Teaching Music (December 1993), pp. 34-35. Advocates knowing why we teach, what our job is, and how we can continually be better. Very practical.
Smith, Brenda. “Voice Building for Choirs: Building the Vocal Instrument.” The American Organist (April 1996), pp. 44-45. A choirmaster/organist speaks in layperson’s terms about the basics of being a better choral singer.
Smith, Perry. “Balance or Blend? Two Approaches to Choral Singing.” Choral Journal (December 2002), pp. 31ff. A rebuttal by James Daugherty et al. appears in the April 2003 issue, 35 ff.
Stoltzfus, Fred. “A Fantasia on Teaching: Frieder Bernius at Work in a Choral Conducting Master Class.” Choral Journal 40:1 (August 1999), pp. 33 ff. Highly recommended and very worthwhile reading. Reflections of a participant in a master class of tremendous proportions.
Stufft, William David. “Hands-Off Approaches to Teaching Breath [Energy].” Teaching Music (June 1998), pp. 30 ff. Advocates non-touch methods and gives specific exercises in helping singers learn how to use breath properly.
Van Weelden, Kimberly. “Perceptions of Non-Verbal Communication: Implications for Beginning Conductor Training.” Choral Journal 42:9 (April 2002), pp. 67 ff.
Verdolini, Katherine. “Learning Science Applied to Voice Training: The Value of Being ‘In the Moment.’” Choral Journal 42: 7 (February 2002), pp. 47 ff.
Wiest, Lori. “Score Analysis 101.” (Student Times Column) Choral Journal (December 2002), pp. 57ff. Two quick pages filled with pointers for score analysis.
Wis, Ramona M. “Invite, Instruct, Inspire.” Teaching Music (June 1998), pp. 38-40. The SAS approach, here called Whole/Part/Whole.
Wis, Ramona M. “Physical Metaphor in the Choral Rehearsal: A Gesture-Based Approach to Developing Vocal Skill and Musical Understanding.” Choral Journal 40:3 (October 1999), pp. 25 ff. Discusses roles of metaphor, physical gesture, imagery, and student movement in the rehearsal. Lengthy and engaging article.
Wurgler, Pamela S. “An Adjudicator Lists Ten Common Vocal Sings.” Choral Journal (May 1994), pp. 31 ff. Ten basics we all should constantly reinforce.
York, Terry. “Passion and the Conductor.” Choral Journal (April 1999), pp. 31 ff. The conductor as inspirer. Thoughtful. A must-read.
Adams, Charlotte. Daily Workout for a Beautiful Voice. Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Perhaps the single most important video you’ll ever buy.
The Art of the King’s Singers. Hinshaw Music. Dated but entertaining introduction to their sound world and philosophies. Concert footage intercut with workshops.
Blackstone, Jerry. Working With Male Voices. Santa Barbara Music Publishing. A bit long and over produced, but a testament to community-based music making at the University of Michigan.
Eichenberger, Rodney. Enhancing Musicality Through Movement. Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Demonstrates the effectiveness of singer movement to sensitize the ensemble to more subtle artistry.
Eichenberger, Rodney. What They See Is What You Get. Hinshaw Music. Linking the visual, the aural, and the kinetic to promote artistic choral singing.
Johnson, Jeff. Ready, Set, Sing: Activating the Mind, Body, and Voice. Santa Barbara Music Publishing. Advocates use of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic activity.
Jordan, James. Group Vocal Techniques. Hinshaw Music.
Jordan, James with Craig Denison, Vincent Metallo, Constantina Tsolainou. Group Vocal Technique: The Choral Ensemble Warm-up. Hinshaw Music. This self-instructional video contains four master teachers who conduct eight complete warm-ups with their ensembles. More than fifty exercises are presented on this 75 min. video, and they are usable for choral ensemble at any level.
Jordan, James and
Constantina Tsolainou.
Ensemble Diction: Language and Style, Principles and Application.
Hinshaw Music. In both lectures and demonstrations, this 90 min. video teaches
general principles of diction while presenting specific ways to apply those
concepts to any choral situation.
King’Singers: A Workshop. Hal Leonard. Features concert footage from Dallas rehearsals, informal interviews, and workshops with several high school choirs.
Mount, Timothy. Fine Tune Your Conducting Skills. Santa Barbara Music Publishing, 1997. Face-to-camera discussion combined with actual choral excerpts. Useful, but a bit too self-aware.
Warland, Dale. Attention to Detail. Content geared toward advanced ensembles. Dale Warland Singers are the guinea pigs.
<www.sbmp.com>
<www.hinshawmusic.com>
MENC also offers a number of choral rehearsal methods videos.